Torpedo guard



Jan. 3, w SIHENDRAI 1 TORPE'DO GUARD Filed Feb. 1, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I V W-QSHefiJra ATTORNEYS w. s. HENDRA Y 2,142,751

TORPEDO GUARD Filed Feb. 1, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY S Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATE-ZS FATE-NT GFFIQE TORPEDO GUARD William S. Hendra, New Bedford, Mass. Application February 1, 1938, Serial No. 188,168

This invention 3 Claims.

relates to torpedo guards and has for an object to provide a novel grid and means for raising and lowering the same quickly to released or operative positions, respectively.

A further object is to provide locking bolts A further object is to provide a grid having beveled cross bars for deflecting the nose of a torpedo and preventing the firing pin striking squarely to prevent explosion.

A further object is to provide a protection of this kind for battle ships and other marine craft, which will be formed of a few strong simple and durable parts, which will be inexpensive to manufacture, and which will not easily get out of order.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of resorted to within the claims without departing scope of the appended from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the grid in operative position to catch or deflect the torpedo.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View of the torpedo guard taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the torpedo guard in raised released position.

Figure 4 is a detail plan view showing one of the locking pins.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing another locking pin.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of one of the bars of the grid taken on of Figure 1.

Referring now the line t-6 to the drawings in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, each section of the guard is shown to comprise a pair of channeled brackets it having flanges ll extending perpendicular to the brackets and adapted to be bolted as shown at l2 to the side of the vessel above the water line with Each bracket is provided on the bottom a horizontally extending locking pin I3 in a guide It to move vessel and is yieldably held at its outermost limit of movement by a helical spring l5 which is sleeved on the pin.

A cable i6 is attached to the rear end of the pin and is trained over sheaves I1 and I8 suitably secured to the vessel, to retract the pin.

A pair of arms l9 are pivotally secured at one end to a respective bracket by a pivot pin 20. These arms are received in the channeled brackets iii to extend horizontally from the vessel and when in this position, the locking pins 133 spring into openings 2i in a keeper 22 which projects from the arms, as best shown in Figure 5. The keeper is provided with a curved tip 23 which rides over a beveled end 24 on the pin to press the pin back against the tension of its spring so that the pin may spring back through the opening to lock the respective arm in horizontal position.

A shaft 25 is journaled in the ends in the arms l9, as best shown in Figures land 4. The shaft supports a grid comprising longitudinal bars 26 and transverse bars 2i, these bars being sharpened to a feather edge 28, as best shown in Figure 6 to deflect the nose of a torpedo and prevent the firing pin striking the bars and detonating the torpedo. The longitudinally disposed bars 29 are disposed longitudinally of the bars 26 and are connected to the latter by short end bars 30, as best shown in Figure 3. The bars 29 and 30 also serve to deflect the torpedo or hold the same until its propelling force is exhausted so that it may be recovered.

By referring to Figure 3 it will be seen that the pivoted arms iii are provided in the upper edges with notches (it. These notches receive respective pins 32 carried by cranks 88 attached to the shaft 25 when the bars H) are in horizontal position as shown in Figure 4. Spring pressed pins 24 carried in guides 35 on the arms spring over the pins 32 to prevent the grids from rocking inwardly toward the ship upon impact of a torpedo or when the vessel is in motion.

Cables 33 are connected to the rear ends of the locking pins to retract the pins against the tension of their controlling springs 31 when it is desired to lift the grids from the water and store them against the side of the ship in released position. These cables are trained over guide pulleys 38 and 39 carried by parts of the ship.

A crank arm M is disposed at about the center of the shaft 25 and a cable All is connected to the crank arm for the purpose of pulling the crank pins 32, shown in Figure 4, into the notches in the arms IS in the event the grid does not become locked when the arms are lowered. into a QI ZQntal position.

For raising and lowering the grids into inoperative or operative positions, respectively, cables 42, best shown in Figure 3, are connected to respective eye plates 43 on the ends of the shaft 25.

When the grids are to be lowered to afford protection from torpedoes either while the vessel is in motion or is at anchor, it is simply necessary to slack ofi the cables 42, gravity then causing the arms I9 to drop to the horizontal since the arms normally incline slightly outward ly and the grids hang off center from the pivots 2B of the arms. Thus a few operators in a Very short time may lower all of the grids along the sides and ends of the vessel which is a great advantage over the present system of the use of nets which impede motion of the vessel and require too long to lower in case of an attack.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention will be fully understood without further explanation.

What is claimed is:

1. A torpedo guard for ships comprising brackets adapted to be secured to the sides of the ship above the Water line, arms pivoted to the brackets for movement into vertical position or into horizontal position, the brackets extending outwardly beyond the pivots of the arms to support the arms in horizontal position, grids pivotally suspended from the arms for movement thereby into operative or inoperative positions, spring pressed locking pins carried by the brackets, keepers carried by the arms engaged by the pins for holding the arms in horizontal position, there being recesses in said arms, pins carried by the grid engaging in the recesses when the grid is in operative position, spring pressed pins carried by the arms engaging over the last named pins to hold the pins against displacement, and means for raising and lowering the arms.

2. A torpedo guard for ships comprising brackets adapted to be secured to the sides of a ship above the water line, arms pivoted to the brackets for movement into vertical position or into horizontal position, the brackets extending outwardly beyond the pivot of the arms to adapt them to support the arms when the arms are in horizontal position, grids pivotally suspended from the arms for movement thereby into operative or inoperative position, means fixed to the grids and engaging the arms to hold the grids against inward swinging movement when in operative position, said grids having bars of tapered cross section for deflecting the nose of a torpedo, and means for raising and lowering the arms.

3. A torpedo guard for ships comprising brackets adapted to be secured to the sides of the ship above the water line, arms pivoted to the brackets for movement into vertical position or into horizontal position, the brackets extending outwardly beyond the pivots of the arms to support the arms in horizontal position, grids pivotally suspended from the arms for movement thereby into operative or inoperative position, a shaft pivotally securing the grids to the arms and extending between the arms, cranks on the shaft terminating in transversely disposed pins, there being notches in the arms receiving said pins when the arms are in horizontal position, spring locking pins carried by the arms engageable over said pins to hold the pins against displacement, a second set of spring locking pins carried by the brackets and adapted to engage the arms and hold the arms in horizontal position, means for Withdrawing all of said locking pins from operative position to permit movement of the arms and grid to released position against the sideof the ship, and means for raising and lowering the arms.

WILLIAM S. HENDRA. 

